In a review for
AllMusic, Stacia Proefrock wrote: "there are only fragments of
Blues for Falasha that can be pinpointed as specifically Jewish... Instead, a poem... sets the philosophical tone for the album... What follows are three beautiful, inspired compositions that explore themes of pain and loneliness, beauty and delicacy, and heritage... if Glenn Spearman had to leave this world too soon, he certainly knew what to leave behind." Writing for
JazzTimes,
Duck Baker remarked: "the darkness of
Blues for Falasha makes it impossible not to think of composers like Berg whose last works were unintended auto-requiems... the music builds by such imperceptible degrees that the feeling of uneasy restraint pervades even at the most intense moments... The instrumentation and some of the writing evoke Jones-Ali-period Trane, but the rhythm team here actually works better." In an article for
The New York City Jazz Record, Clifford Allen wrote: "Spearman... was a force of nature on the tenor saxophone and his peals of sound came from air and earth in reflection of forebears like John Coltrane, Albert Ayler and Frank Wright....
Blues for Falasha is a deep late offering from one of this music's most intriguing figures." ==Track listing==